Arn't these things supposed to happen to other people?
by The cooter
Summary: Illness can break a family, bring a family closer or just a little bit of both...cancer sure sucks doesn't it?
1. It's just the flu it's just the flu

**AN: in this story Craig is Randy and Sharon's kid and Stan's twin. I have been reading stories that have that lately and I like it. Kids are 9. Also, this is a bit of an AU nothing from the series happened unless explicitly stated. Expect medical terms. Final thing: all but 2 of my stories have been discontinued for the time being**.

Chapter 1: it's just the flu, it's just the flu, it's just the flu.

"Well it seems like it's just a virus Mrs. Marsh. It should clear up in a few days. However if he isn't feeling better in a week bring him back in." The doctor told Sharon Marsh who had brought her son Craig to the doctor because he had had a bit of a fever (100.7 F), body aches, fatigue, tiredness and lack of appetite.

"Can we do anything for him?" Sharon asked.

"Keep him home from school until he has been fever free for at least 24 hours. Some ibuprofen should help him with the body aches and bring the fever." Doctor Graham, the Marshes pediatrician said.

Once they got home Craig went to his room to try to take a nap and Sharon called her husband.

" I don't think that it's 'just a virus' he seems to get sick a lot lately and you know Craig, he doesn't tell us he isn't feeling good unless it is really bothering him. Something's up." She told her husband after telling him about the doctor's appointment.

"I think your right Sharon, let's just wait and see what happens by next week." Randy nervously replied.

" I agree" And with that she hung up and went to check on her ill son.

"Do you want anything to eat?"

Craig looked up at her with fever clouded eyes.

"No mom" Craig said in a tired weak voice that showed just how sick he was.

" Honey you've barely eaten since Saturday, I would be willing to make you anything you want." Sharon said almost begging her son to eat.

"I don't want anything right now mom"

Sharon gave her son a worried look "ok… don't forget Stan is bringing your school work home, I don't want you to fall behind" And as she said this she left her son's room and he fell asleep.

Not much happened that day, nor the day after that, nor the day after that. Soon a week had passed and Craig had not improved. So they made the appointment with Doctor Graham.

Later that day

"Craig?" a young nurse called. Craig with some help from his mother walked over to the nurse .

"Right this way" the nurse said pointing to a scale. "ok… 64.8 lbs. can I get your height?" Craig stepped over. "mkay, 54"." The nurse lead them to a room and took his temperature and blood pressure. "The doctor should be in shortly"

"Hello Mrs. Marsh, Craig" Dr. Graham said as he entered the room a few minutes later. "I'm sorry your not feeling better." Doctor Graham told Craig. "Right now I'm just going to do a basic exam" he explained. That was one of the many things the Marsh's loved about him, the fact that he explained everything to them. "hmm" he looked at Sharon, "his lymph nodes are swollen" He told her as he felt Craig's throat and the back of his neck.

" what does that mean" Sharon asked.

"Well it means there is something wrong, you see in a healthy person you can't feel the lymph nodes, the fact that I can feel them tells me that something is wrong" the doctor explained. "Craig could you please take your shirt off, I check your spleen." Craig did as he was told.

"Craig where did you get these bruises? They look new." Dr. Graham asked.

Craig shrugged , " I dunno, I haven't really had the energy to do to much so I haven't left my room much" he told the doctor.

"Hmm…" the doctor mumbled deep in thought " Well taking everything in to account is think we should order some blood work. It probably isn't something too serious but you know better safe than sorry."

About an hour after Craig and Sharon were led out of Dr. Graham's office and were sat in a different room Craig's name was called. He and his mother were led to another room where a nurse took two vials of his blood.

"Dr. Graham should have the results back to you in about a week" the nurse who drew the blood told the two.

Two days later Monday rolled around and Sharon forced Craig to go to school that day because his fever had gone down a bit and she didn't want him missing anymore school.

"Good bye!" She told her 3 kids as she dropped them off at school. " Try to make it through the day" She told Craig who was the last to get out of the car.

Craig pulled threw the week and soon the Dr. called back, With bad news.

"I'm afraid it seems we found something wrong with the blood work. His cells seem over crowded and underdeveloped" The Doctor explained.

"What does it mean?" Sharon asked, panic clear in her voice as she listened to the doctor.

"well, I don't want to assume anything yet and I wish to run some more tests, but it might mean, well, cancer." Doctor Graham said in a somber voice as he broke the news to Sharon.

"No! no! Oh God please no!" She cried in to the phone.

"Well Mrs. Marsh I would like to get a few more tests done, I would like Craig to be scheduled for: a spinal tap, a bone marrow biopsy and some x rays. How would Monday, September 25 at 4 for the x rays and the 1st of October at 4am for the other two work for you?"

"I think that will work fine that you" Sharon said still shocked at the potential diagnosis.

 **So what did you think? I need a beta if anyone is interested. This is for sure something I will update if I know if people are reading;) and possibly even if not:D More Family stuff in next chapter**

 **This is Theecooter signing off until later.**


	2. Tests and Stress

**A/N** Well…I update quickly don't I? How long has it been? A year? Anyway I am not going to lie about why I didn't update in the last year…it was laziness. Moving on! Yada Yada Yada I don't own south park Matt and Trey do so please don't sue me

Chapter 2: Tests and Stress

When the Monday of the 25th arrived it was an overall boring day for the Marsh family as Randy, after doing nothing to help his wife get the 3 children ready for school as always, pulled out of the family's driveway and Sharon made her kids' lunches, got her kids ready for school, dropped them off and finally arrived at Tom's Rhinoplasty. It was a relatively normal day for Shelly, Stan and Craig as well. Well…a little bit less so for Stan and Craig as Mr. Garrison had been going on and on about Kim Kardashian's newest boob and butt job and how it made her look like even more of a whore then she already does. But, aside from that, a normal day. The day became different was after school when Sharon picked the boys up from South Park elementary to take the 2 and a half hour long drive to just outside of Denver to go get Craig's x-rays done. When they got there and had checked in is when Craig started to panic.

"Are you sure this won't hurt mom?" He asked for the 3rd time since they had gotten there but sounding uncharacteristically worried.

"Yah dude I had to get one when I broke my arm last year and it didn't hurt at all. Quit being such a baby" His twin brother Stan said seeming annoyed with his brother.

"Stanley!" Sharon said glaring at her son and then turning to her other son said, "like I said earlier, it's just like getting your picture taken"

Craig looked at his mother as though he didn't believe her but nonetheless went back to reading his book about space. Soon after that the family was called back to the exam room

"Dr. Graham will be in shortly" the nurse that had checked Craig's blood pressure, temperature and heart rate, as well as calmed him down slightly about the x-rays said as she left the room. And sure enough in 5 minutes Dr. Graham walked in.

"So what the x-rays today are for is that we are checking the lymph nodes in his chest." The doctor said as he walked in. Sharon nodded to show she was listening as the doctor continued

"As well as that I also would like to inform you that we could do the spinal tap and the bone marrow biopsy done tomorrow if you would like to do it then"

"Would it be alright if I stepped outside for a minute to call my husband to see if that would work?" Sharon asked

"Of course"

The nurse stepped in to get Craig for his x-rays right as Sharon stepped out. They also both returned at the same time. About 15 minutes later Dr. Graham walked in.

"Well after looking at the x-rays, his lymph nodes do appear to be swollen. What did your husband say about the spinal tap and biopsy" The doctor said as he walked in the room and sat down.

"Ok… he said that that would work for him." Sharon said. After that the family walked out and make the appointment for the next day.

When the next day arrived Sharon walked up stairs to her two sons' room. As she entered the boys' room she moved around the twins stuff thrown carelessly on the floor making a mental note to have them clean their room later that day and reached the two boys beds.

" Alright you two rise and shine" she said standing between the boys bed. She smiled to her self as she watched the boys begin the slow process of waking up. As she left the room to start the much harder process of waking up her daughter the boys got out of bed and began to get out of their pajamas and get dressed Craig turned to his brother

"I'm nervous about this" He said his voice shaking slightly "even more then yesterday."

"It's ok dude" Stan said turning to his brother who was looking quite scared and slightly embarrassed "remember me and mom will be there too"

"I know…it's just that this whole thing creeps me out" Craig sighed "If you tell anyone at school about anything I said I will kill you. Especially if you tell Cartman."

"I know…I wont"

The brothers spent the rest of the morning at their house relatively silently as Craig was nervous for what was to occur in just a few hours and his brother couldn't think of anything to say and their sister was in a bad mood about a test that morning. When they got to school that morning they did as they always did and split into their respective friend groups.

"What's going on with Craig dude? He seems even more pissy then normal lately. Plus you guys haven't been on the bus lately" Kyle said once Stan met up with his friend.

"I don't really know mom won't really tell me much but she said that he might be really sick."

"that sucks" Kenny said from under his hood.

After that the four friends went off to class.

At 11:54 Sharon picked the boys up and brought them to Dr. Graham's office where the procedures where to be done. The boys and their mother where soon escorted back to a different room. Once there they had the procedures explained to them.

"So what we are going to do today is take some of the fluid from your spine and some of the marrow from your bone today" The doctor said as he walked in.

 **So that is where I am ending it for now. The LP and bone marrow biopsy will be posted tomorrow.**

 **This is Thecooter signing off for now.**


	3. The bone marrow biopsy and spinal tap

**A/N Please note any and all names of hospitals are made up. Doctors names are made up. Yes I do know there is a children's hospital in Denver however after much thinking on the subject I chose not to use that to have more creative freedom with layouts, room descriptions, ect... and copyright. However, any and all medical procedures, treatments, prescriptions, symptoms and side effects are written to be as realistic as possible. Thanks for reading! Now onto the story!!!!!**

Chapter 3: The bone marrow biopsy and spinal tap

Craig looked up at the doctor from where he sat on the exam table while playing with the buttons on his jacket showing his nerves

"How will you do that?" He asked Dr. Graham while his mother and brother thought the same thing.

"Well first we will put you to sleep using a small amount of general anesthesia, once that has happened we will inject a small amount of local anesthesia into your back and hip. After we give that a few minutes to start working I will take this syringe here," He paused to show the Marsh's the syringe in question which had a very large needle, Craig looked at it and unconsciously rubbed his hip just thinking of how it might hurt going in, Stan looking at his brother with a look of sympathy in his eyes.

"And use it to take out a little bit of the marrow, which is inside your bones and is responsible for making the blood cells." Dr. Graham continued "When we are finished with that we roll you over onto your back, now this is where this gets delicate, I will take this needle here" He said showing them a smaller and slightly thinner needle "and use it to collect a small amount of the fluid in your spine to test it for leukemia cells and about 5 minutes after I finish you should wake up. Any questions?" The doctor concluded looking at the Marsh family.

"Yes I have one." Sharon said almost immediately after the doctor concluded "Can he go back to school after this or should we wait a day or two?"

"He should be able to"

"I have one" Craig suddenly said "Will it hurt much after?"

"You might be a little sore for a day or two but that is about it" Dr. Graham said .

At that moment the pediatric anesthesiologist from St. Nicklaus's Colorado Children's hospital stepped in bringing with him a cart full of medical equipment.

"Are you ready to get this over with my dude? My name is Dr. Sanders and I will be your son's anesthesiologist today" He said in a slight southern accent, first talking to Craig then to Sharon.

Dr. Sanders looked to be in his mid to late 50's with light brown hair that was starting to gray around the edges with a slight gut and standing at about 5' 11" and came off sounding like he was trying just a little to hard to sound cool contrasting Dr. Graham who looked to be in his late 30's, in generally good shape standing at 6'2" and with sandy blonde hair.

"Yeah…let's just get this over with" Craig said in a slightly deadpan tone.

"All right my man I am just going to have breathe as you normally would when I put this mask on" Dr. Sanders said as he pulled out a small mask that looked like it would cover Craig's mouth and nose.

Soon Craig was out cold and his mother and brother sat in the chairs watching the doctor do as he had described earlier and sooner either of them could have guessed it was over and they where walking out of the doctor's office after being told the results would be back in 3-5 days.

To the Marsh family who where impatiently waiting for the results the days seemed to drag.

Craig, who was the most nervous for the results, felt like each day went on forever, it was hard for him to go to school because of how sick he felt and how hard it was to keep up the mask of his I-don't-give-a-shit attitude, which only a few people outside of the family had seen him without (he counted Kyle and Tweek in the 'family' section of that, what with how often they saw each other. It seemed sometimes whenever Craig didn't have Tweek over Stan had Kyle over). He didn't want to go to school and deal with people's shit all day, he wanted to stop feeling like shit, even Jimmy's bad jokes, which usually made him at least cracking a smirk, did nothing to improve his mood. On the night 3 days after the two tests he just broke. He and his brother had just gotten into bed that night when all of the emotional weight of what had been happening lately hit Craig at once and he just started crying, something he rarely did anymore. Stan was always the cry baby out of the two of them he thought to him self as Stan noticed his crying and got out of his bed and had gone over to his brother's bed. Stan the younger one, by ten minutes, he was the one who cried when he lost his stuffed bear for longer then a few minutes when they where younger, he was the one scared enough of the boogeyman hiding in their closet when they where 5, Craig was scared too he just didn't start crying over it like Stan did, Craig thought to himself as Stan made his was closer to the bed where his brother lay quietly sobbing.

"Hey, what's wrong" Stan said somewhat awkwardly as he got to his brothers bed.

"I-I-Its no-noth-nothing Stan" Craig sobbed out looking up at his twin with tears falling out of his eyes.

"Riiight" Stan said as he hopped onto his brothers bed

"Just g-g-go away" Craig said hiding his head in his pillow

"Dude just remember, we're brothers, you can tell me anything" Stan said sounding cheesy

Craig laughed slightly.

"I-I-Its j-just that I've been f-feeling a bit overw-w-whelmed by this I guess" Craig said looking at his bother

"Ok…well dude if you need anything I would be happy to help" Stan said as he started to get up off his twins bed

'W-Wait" Craig said suddenly. Stan looked back and saw his brother looking slightly embarrassed

"Could you sleep in my bed tonight" Craig mumbled, clearly embarrassed by what he was requesting.

"Sure!" Stan responded with a smile and jumped into his brothers bed.

When Sharon walked into the boys room to wake them up for school that day she saw the two brothers hugging each other in their sleep. How cute, she thought. What ever she was going to saw next was interrupted by the phone ringing downstairs . That's odd, Sharon thought to her self, who would be calling now. She picked up the phone.

"Hello this is Dr. Graham" The voice on the other side of the phone said in a somber voice .

"Hello Dr. Graham this is Sharon what can I do for you?"

"Well…gosh this is hard to say but…we got the results of the biopsy and spinal tap. I have some good news and bad news"

"What is it" Sharon asked.

 **Thanks for reading. The next chapter should be up very soon!! Untill then, this is Thecooter signing off for now.**


	4. Diagnosis

**Happy (Almost) Thanksgiving to everyone in America! And to everyone else, I hope you are having a great day. So…very soon apparently means two months. Yeah, sorry about that school and debate have kept me quite busy. Also just a heads up, there is a bit of profanity in this chapter**

"Well the good news is that we weren't able to find any leukemia cells in Criag's spinal fluids" Dr. Graham said slowly into the phone.

"Well…what's the bad news then?" Sharon said fearing the worst

Dr. Graham sighed slowly before continuing "This isn't easy to say but… based on Craig's symptoms, the blood work, the x-rays and the biopsy, I am sorry to say this but…Craig has acute lymphoblastic leukemia."

Sharon gasped and was left speechless by the diagnosis.

Doctor Graham continued "Furthermore, due to the fact that in many cases of one identical twin getting acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL for short, the other twin has a far higher chance of getting it as well, I would recommend that you bring Stan in for some tests. Just to be on the safe side. As well as this you should make an appointment with Dr. Rod, one of the pediatric oncologists at St. Nicklaus' so he can begin to form a chemotherapy plan. I am sorry to ask this of you but you must do this right away. I am so very sorry for your family Mrs. Marsh."

Sharon felt numb as she responded "sure thing, when do you want Stan in?"

"Does today at 4 work for you?

"Yes"

The feeling of numbness continued as Sharon called to get Craig an appointment with Dr. Rod and called all three kids out of school for the day as well as calling her husband and informing him of the diagnosis, deciding they needed to talk about this as a family. She then went into her room, laid on her bed, and cried.

It was a soon after Randy got home that the twins and Shelly woke up and came downstairs.

"Kids, please sit down" Randy said in a very uncharacteristically somber and quiet voice.

"Well got a call from Dr. Graham today…" Sharon started before losing control of her emotions and crying causing the twins to look at each other.

"Craig, you have cancer" Randy said putting it bluntly. Craig looked at him with wide, shocked and, scared eyes. Randy and Sharon then explained everything that Dr. Graham had told them.

After hearing all this each kid reacted differently, Shelly got very emotional and stayed downstairs to talk about it with her parents, both Stan and Craig went to their rooms but Stan went and sat on his bed and began to do research on ALL and Craig laid under his bed thinking about his future and crying over his fate. Stan, hearing his brother cry for two days in a row again walked over to his bed.

"Hey dude?" Stan said, squatting down so he could see this bother under the bed

"W-W-What" Craig choked out an answer

"just so you know the survival rate is about 90 percent" Stan said

"Yeah Stan, fucking great. I am so fucking happy. And what about the other 10 percent? Hmmmm Stan? What about the 10 fucking percent that fucking die?" Craig yelled, lashing out at his brother

" 'm scared Stan" Craig said right after, looking at his brother with tear filled eyes

"I'm sorry I got mad…I'm just so scared right now" Craig continued

"Does you want to call anyone and tell them?" Stan asked, not mad about his brothers anger

"No, I know they will find out eventually find out but now right now." Craig then crawled out from under his bed and embraced his twin brother and started to sob. Stan hugged his brother back, letting Craig's tears wet his shoulder.

They stayed in their room that day, with Stan only leaving for the appointment Dr. Graham wanted. Later in the day Craig ended up calling Kyle and informing him of everything that was going on. He still had decided not to call Tweek so as not to set off a panic attack in his friend.

Sharon went to South Park Elementary school before taking Stan to his appointment so she could talk to the school about Craig's new diagnosis.

 **Sorrry about the shorter chapter, I will update soon (for real this time)** **This is Thecooter signing off for now.**


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